Bitterblue – I think it makes her all the more impressive that she inherited the throne from her horrible lineage but she becomes a good leader in spite of it.

Madison – Only one person really follows her in this story, but it is just the beginning and I get the idea that she is going to definitely be somebody.

Ibram Gaunt – Gaunt would find himself in strange company on this list. He is a man who wins the loyalty of a people with so little left to give.

Keladry of Mindelan – I think Haven is the best example of her leadership but throughout her adventures people follow her whether she wants them to or not.

Aerin – I think what I always loved about Aerin was her determination to change the peoples mind about her and she was such a doer. She doesn’t lead with ideas but with actions.

Beka Cooper – I know, another Tamora Pierce, but she is excellent at writing characters that lead from the bottom. In this case the often more junior cop who people learn has a good head on her shoulders.

Peggy Carter – A woman who needs no introduction and needs no man. I’ve loved the bits of her I’ve had in comics and in the TV show. You will follow her lead, whether you like it or not.

It was totally not intentional to only have one male, but it is probably a pretty good representation of my reading.